April 22, 2008

The Hidden Object Show - new hidden object game

The Hidden Object Show is the latest release from SpinTop Games. It’s a bit of a twist on the genre, combining many of the modes of play you’re probably familiar with.

The artwork is colorful and most of the objects you’ll search for are clearly defined. A few objects are hidden behind other items, with only a small piece of the sought-after object showing, and a few are not drawn sharply enough to be definitively identified. In the screenshot above, there’s a footprint (at least I think that’s what it’s supposed to be) on the inside wall of the desk, in the kneehole. When it’s on the search list as a silhouette, it’s a poorly defined blob that could be almost anything. This goes against the spirit of fairplay, but I only noticed these faults a couple of times. Overall gameplay is satisfying.

Objects to be found are typical of the hidden object games you’ve played before, from toys to steam cleaners to animals and clothing. Question marks hidden in each scene can be clicked on to earn hints or to exclude modes of play that don’t interest you.

The premise: You’re a contestant on a gameshow. The first round in each level is a standard hidden object search with the player working from a list of items to find. When you’ve completed a search you’ll spin a wheel which will determine the next mode of play. The screen you’ve just completed is re-played, but you might have riddles or sillouettes for clues instead of list, or be assigned to find ten items of the same type, like keys or dominos. It’s a fun twist and I like the variety it adds to this game. I enjoyed it enough that I might buy the full version soon, but right now I’ve got more games than I have time to play. Go to the SpinTop Games links above to get a free download of The Hidden Object Show and play it for an hour. I think you’ll like it!

You can see all of my hidden object game reviews in the games category for skeet’s stuff. Each will provide you with my opinion of the game and a link to a free download so you can try it for yourself. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: games, hidden object games, The Hidden Object Show

April 3, 2008

Go see Corrin

You know my friend Corrin. She’s over here all the time, commenting on my posts and playing Tuesday Teasers, and she’s a fellow player of Self Portrait Sunday and Four Foods on Friday. She blogs over at oh, hey. what’s up? about her life, current events, entertainment news and lots of interesting products and services. You can learn a few things about Corrin in her recent 4 Questions - 4 Answers, where she lists jobs she’s had, shows she watches and foods she likes, among other things. I’m not so sure about someone who would say that edamame is a favorite food (I mean, there’s not much taste there, is there?) but she’s got good taste in music, so that makes up for a lot.

Corrin must spend a lot of time searching out videos, because she’s posted an impressive number of them. She manages to find the off-beat & bizarre stuff that makes you go “Huh? What was that?” Being a self-portraiter herself, she had to post the video of an elephant painting a self portrait when she found it. Huh? What was that? Yep, I watched the whole thing twice because I couldn’t believe what I’d seen the first time. I need to find out Corrin’s secret for finding such strange things (she’s got a lot of weird stuff on her blog that I’ve never seen anywhere else.) Go check her out and see if you don’t have a few “Huh?” moments, too!

Technorati Tags: blogs, blog reviews, personal blogs

March 28, 2008

Reviews and More

J.E. loves movies. She has reviewed almost three hundred of them since she started her blog, Reviews and More eighteen months ago. Now I like movies too, but I don’t go to the theatre, being perfectly content to wait until each film comes to me on TV or DVD. Conseqently, I had to scroll through several months of J.E.’s reviews before I found movie I’d seen so I could get a feel for her handling of something that I was familiar with. That movie was The Princess Bride, which she reviewed on the occasion of the release of the 20th anniversary special edition DVD. She has done a solid plot summary with minimal personal input and critique. I don’t agree with her rating of 6.5 stars out of ten, but she makes it clear that that’s based on her own personal reactions, so it’s still a good review. I found her reviews of several other movies, including My Fair Lady and Because of Winn Dixie to be agreeable, so I’ve decided to forgive her for not loving Buttercup and Westley as much as I do. I’ve added several movies to my “must see” list based on her opinions. An alphabetical listing of her movie reviews would be a nice addition to her blog, making it easier to find out her thoughts on any given film. I’m not criticizing what she’s got, just offering a suggestion that readers might find helpful.

You would think that J.E. wouldn’t have time for anything beyond all of the movie-watching that she does, but there are more reviews of TV shows and individual episodes than of movies on her blog. I had a better basis for comparison here, since she’s reviewed several shows that I watch, including Without a Trace, Criminal Minds and House. I found her TV posts to be thoughtful and thought-provoking, causing a “Duh! Why didn’t I notice that?” reaction several times. Why didn’t I notice that a character was behaving inconsistently or that a plot seemed to contradict prior episodes? I suspect it’s because J.E. is much more cerebral in her TV-watching than I am. I rarely focus on what I’m watching, but J.E. is dedicated to providing comprehensive reviews so she really pays attention. Her recent general observation about a discrepancy between small screen life and real life? Spot on!

Reviews and More is a good source of product, service and website reviews, too. While her opinions are all “personal,” J.E. is consistently fair and informative. She approaches her posts on everything from video games to cheap flights to web hosting with equal focus on the task at hand, which is always to provide a service to her readers. She does that, and does it well.

Technorati Tags: blogs, reviews, Reviews and More

March 22, 2008

Simple Kind of Life

Y’all know Colleen, right? Of course you do. She’s everywhere, what with her seven blogs, her message board community and, oh, yeah, her work for sponsored blogging companies. She was the first to hit the $10,000 earnings mark with PayPerPost, and right this minute is less than $25.00 away from passing $20,000. I think I’ll go ahead and congratulate her now, because it’s already morning at her home in Florida and she’ll probably be posting with her morning coffee while I’m still sleeping. Congrats on being the first $20,000 postie, Colleen! Y’all should go congratulate her, too. She hangs her hat at Simple Kind of Life, where the welcome mat is always out.

I’m not sure where the simple part of her life comes into play. She juggles three kids, a hubby, a full-time job, school, her blogging duties, year-round promotion of her annual 3 Day walk for breast cancer … and still somehow manages time for relaxing, a social life and travel. She and her family take regular vacations together, but she and hubby also sometimes travel without the kids. On their last big “adults only” trip they did something I’ve always wanted to do. They went to Amsterdam and, while there, toured the Anne Frank House and Museum. I remember how overwhlemed I was when I went to the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor and came to the realization that I was in the exact spot where horrific historic events occurred. To have had that same experience, and to have it associated with a person whose story we all know so well and whose face we know - can you imagine how incredibly moving it must have been? Actually, you don’t have to imagine it, because Colleen describes it well. Make sure you click the flickr link in the post to see pictures of the Anne Frank House and the rest of their trip.

You should get to know Colleen (if you’re one of the few people who doesn’t already know her.) Simple Kind of Life features pithy comments about all of the TV she watches (though I can’t see how she finds the time,) family stories and commentary on everything from men’s fashion to the weather in Antarctica. You’ll enjoy her her quirky and sometimes hilarious take on some unfunny things like being harrassed by a cop for blowing her horn and how a snail trial proved someone was trying to pass off used merchandise as new. She’s smart, sassy and funny, and so industrious she’ll probably be running the world in a few years. You’ll be wanting to call on her for favors then, so yeah - now would be a good time to get to know her.

Technorati Tags: blog review, blogs, Simple Kind of Life

March 21, 2008

New trend means more hidden object game fun!

Several games have been released recently featuring our favorite genre as mingames. I prefer full version hidden object games, but these games offer a fun diversion while we wait for new releases. Give them a try and see what you think.

Hidden Wonders of the Depths

Hidden Wonders of the Depths is primarily a match-three game, but has a nice mix of of minigames, some quite engaging. I didn’t get to any hidden object play before my demo hour ran out, but I was playing during the business day and had numerous interruptions (darn clients!) I found a screen capture on Big Fish, though, that shows some hidden object fun.

Rainbow Web

I enjoyed Rainbow Web, a match three game with an unusual configuration. As you claim the orbs from the enchanted webs that imprison the castle, you’re also collecting letters that will help you discover a spell to end the curse. The couple of hidden object screens that I played during my demo hour were not terribly challenging, but the overall gameplay was nice.

Natalie Brooks: Secrets of Treasure House

Natalie Brooks: Secrets of Treasure House is an adveture game in which the player must find items and perform specific actions with them in order to move forward. The hidden object levels are a much more integral part of the game play than with the two games above. I’ve only just begun to get acquainted with adventure games and haven’t developed any skill with intuitively figuring out what comes next in each scene, so I was pretty frustrated playing Natalie Brooks. I liked it, though. I may buy the full version and play it through so I can get more comfortable with the adventure genre.

The History Channel Lost Worlds

The History Channel Lost Worlds is special! Being from The History Channel, you know it’s got some educational value and is, of course, family friendly. There are more split-screen find-the-differences puzzles and jigsaw-type puzzles than hidden object games, but they’re all challenging, some devilishly so. Little history lessons come with each level, of course. The artwork is superb and the entire game is quite engaging. I’ll be buying this one for my collection.

Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare

Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare is another adventure game which came out about a month ago. I finally played it today in furtherance of my efforts towards trying to master adventure games. They’re still pretty frustrating for me at this point. There’s not “pure” hidden object play in Hidden Secrets - it’s incorporated into the adventure. The darkness of some of the scenes makes it impossible to “see” what you’re looking for. You have to rely on the objects being highlighted as you mouse blindly over them. I’d rather a game that doesn’t have to give you the clues. The minigames are fun and somewhat challenging. I did enjoy the storyline, so I may buy the full version, practice my adventure game skills a bit more and find out how the story ends.

Escape the Museum

Well, I thought I had reviewed Escape the Museum for you a week or so, but I guess not. It’s another adventure game/hidden object game combo. The hidden object action is more robust here than in the other games on this list. The storyline is interesting, but annoying. If you brought your daughter to work with you at the museum and an earthquake trapped you in separate ends of the building, would you stop to search for museum artifacts on your way to rescue her? Not if your body has ever produced progesterone! Still, there’s a lot of great hidden object fun here, making Escape the Museum worthy of purchase.

The mixed genre/hidden object game combo is growing rapidly into it’s own specialty niche. I’m good with that. Anything that brings us more hidden object fun is okay with me. You can get a free one-hour demo of each game above by following the links. Full versions are available for $19.99 from Big Fish Games. If you want to get them at a nicely discounted price, check out the link in the graphic below and get your own Game Space.

Technorati Tags: Escape the Museum, games, hidden object games, Hidden Secrets: The Nightmare, Hidden Wonders of the Depths, History Channel Lost Worlds, Natalie Brooks; Secrets of Treasure House, Rainbow Web

These cufflinks must have been made for me!

My friend is on the mainland this week. Her son graduated from bootcamp in Georgia yesterday (Congratulations, Drew! I’m so proud of you!) I wouldn’t call her a frequent flyer, but she certainly travels more than I do, usually going to the mainland about twice a year. She has the same problem that I do with clutter, so she doesn’t keep a full cold-weather wardrobe. Since most of her travels are in the summer it’s not a problem, but this time there was recent snow where she was going. I offered to loan her my leather jacket and a trench with a zip-out lining. She wanted to travel light, though, so she only took what she could cram into one suitcase and is probably freezing. At one time I had a closet full of jackets, sweaters and suits, having lived in chilly San Francisco before I moved to Hawaii. They’re all gone now, donated to United Cerebral Palsey when I first started my de-cluttering frenzy a year or so ago. I kept two long-sleeved shirts that I used to wear with suits, but rarely get to wear them. The reason I kept them is because they are both timeless classics with French cuffs and I love that look. Somewhere along the line,though, I’ve lost most of the cufflinks that I used to wear with them. I think I have one pair of plain gold button cufflinks left. It would be silly to invest in a whole jewelry box full of them, but I do need to get a few more pair and I really like these Modern Cufflinks a lot. The last time I wore my green silk shirt with the French cuffs was at a pest control conference, so wouldn’t the skeeter cufflinks be perfect for next time? Not to mention, of course, that they provide a little opportunity to play with my online name, which none of my professional cohorts know about. I have a few pieces of insect jewelry that I’ve collected over the years, but no spiders, so the spider cufflinks would be nice, too, don’t you think?

For those of you with a less whimsical fashion sense, take a look at the rest of the jewelry at Tateossian.com. I promise you don’t have to love insects to love their stuff! The contemporary designs incorporating semi-precious stones, fiber optic glass, and CRYSTALLIZED™ - Swarovski Elements, are all classy and elegant (don’t you love they way they even make pesky bugs look elegant?) Robert Tateossian is the “King of Cufflinks,” but there’s much more than just cufflinks in his collections. Every piece reflects the same fine hand-finished craftsmanship as the ones I’ve shown here, and there are stylishly unique designs for both men and women. They’re in better department stores everywhere, in addition to their own stores and in-flight magazines on some airlines. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day will both be here soon, so it’s not too early to shop for a special piece to surprise your loved one. My boy always treats me well for Mother’s Day and my birthday, so I’ll be dropping some heavy hints about those cufflinks soon.

Technorati Tags: cufflinks, jewelry, Tateossian.com

March 20, 2008

Can a brainpan babble?

Most of us have before/after days in our history, days that divide our memories into distinctive realms: before we bought the house, before the baby came, after 9/11. Some of them we share with many people, while others are our own personal markers for events that changed everything about the way we live our lives. I have such a day that is the stuff of nightmares even after the passage of many years. It pales in comparision to the one that brought profound change to my friend Whim’s life. You know those terrible things that you read in the paper, the things that happen to other people? Whim is one of those people. On December 21, 1994 her world was changed forever, not by accident, not by fate, but by the vile act of a despicable excuse for a human being. That was the night of the fire.

Whim’s blog journals her road back to normalcy. It can be hard reading sometimes. She’s brutally honest about the physical, emotional and mental demons she wrestles. Those who live with depression, PTSD and/or anxiety disorders may have to take her in small doses. The experiences she shares may sometimes trigger unpleasant episodes. There’s a payoff for getting past them, though, because you cannot read Whim without putting your own petty struggles into perspective. Whim is not a quitter. She is proof to me that the secret to overcoming adversity is to look it in the eye, know it for the bastard it is, and refuse to give it dominance. Her journey continues and it’s a triumphant one because she makes it so. She made up her mind long ago that she would face down whatever challenges life handed her. She’s uncomfortable being called a hero, but that’s what she is, for the trials that she’s endured and for her unflinching honesty in the telling of her story. She reveals her most vulnerable moments, not in a bid for pity (which she emphatically does not want) but as parts of the story that she’s committed to telling.

I’ve always found the name of Whim’s blog to be a bit ironic. She doesn’t babble, nor does she fit the definition of whimsical as I understand it. She’s a skilled and intelligent wordsmith, an excellent communicator with a wicked sense of humor. She’s writing a book and I’m one of many predicting it will be a bestseller. I’ll take that a step further and predict high interest from Hollywood. I’m thinking Sandra Bullock should portray her, though Julia Roberts is also a likely contender. After you’ve gotten acquainted with her you’ll know that I’m not being facetious or making a joke at her expense with that declaration. She’s the real deal and she’s that compelling.

Technorati Tags: Babblings of WhimsicalnBrainpan, blogs, life stories, review

March 18, 2008

Can You See What I See? New hidden object game

Okay, hidden object game fans - you’re going to love this one. Pure hidden object puzzle fun at its finest. Can You See What I See? is my new favorite game and it’s likely to be yours, too.

The object of the game is to help poor Clyde Curfuffle out of a bind. His collectibles shop has suffered losses from fire and flood. Now he’s injured and in the hospital, losing sales and worried about losing his business. If you’ll just help him sort through his collections to find his rarest, most valuable collectibles his business can be saved. Oh - would you mind filling customer orders while you search? He’d really appreciate it!

The first thing you’ll notice is that the artwork is delightfully fun. Then you’ll see how amazingly sharp and clear it is, leading you to believe there can’t possibly be a challenge to searching for hidden objects. Wrong! First, there’s a lot to see on every screen. Secondly, the creators have done a clever job of object placement, making you work for every item you find. Make sure you look for Seymour the first time you see each screen. You’ll be rewarded with a hint each time you find him. His minigame jar will allow you to earn extra hints if you start to run low.

There’s a zoom feature available on each search screen. Use it! It will enlarge a single quadrant of the screen so you can sort through the colorful collections to find just what you’re looking for. See the tiny lamp my cursor is pointing to on the block at lower left? Very hard to see on the full screen. The only problem I had with this game is that the clickable area is too small on some tiny items. I clicked on one item ten times before I found the “sweet spot,” losing time off of my game clock with each click.

Upon completion of each level you’ll be given the opportunity to find a rare collectible. It will be added to a screen you’ve already played, and a verse will tell you what to look for. Finding it will reward you with a key to one piece of the Rare Collectible Code.

The key will allow you to spin letter blocks to form words. Here I’ve earned my first key and the three blocks with robots on them can now be rotated. I made words for the first line of the code, then discovered they weren’t the right words when I moved on to line two and the words weren’t forming a coherent phrase. The blocks you’ve earned will remain free-spinning, so you can go back and try again when that happens. The ultimate goal is to unlock the entire code and find the most valuable collectible of all, thus rescuing Curfuffle from his troubles.

Can You See What I See? is available exclusively at Big Fish Games, so get on over there and try it out. I bought it already and know I won’t regret the expense. It’s $19.99 to download the full version, discounted to as low as $6.99 with Game Club membership. I pay $6.99 for all of my full version games - that’s not much for the hours of fun I know I’ll have with this one. Try the free hour of play with the free download demo and let me know if you agree.

You can see all of my hidden object game reviews in the games category for skeet’s stuff. Each includes a link so you can download a free demo and try it before you buy.

Technorati Tags: Can You See What I See?, games, hidden object games

March 15, 2008

Stretching myself

I’m a sloth. When I work, I work hard. My job is physical and gives me a workout. When I’m not working, I sit on my duff. That routine worked fine for years, but work has been slow for a while, so I’m getting soft. I need to start swimming again and maybe get into a regular routine of walking for exercise. I haven’t started doing those yet, but this week I did fulfill one commitment I’ve made to myself. I got a yoga dvd and have started doing the exercises.

I’ve started out slow. I’m in my fifties and the only exercise I’ve done in the last decade is water aerobics. My body doesn’t stretch and bend the way it did when I was younger, so I’ve had to move gradually into the yoga routines. I do my exercises at home, alone, but I’m pretty sure if anyone was watching they’d think I don’t look as relaxed and natural as the young woman on the dvd. The important thing, though, is that I feel natural and relaxed after doing it only a few times. I was concerned about straining my back or aggrevating the bursitis in my shoulders. That hasn’t happened. The exercises are very gentle. I can’t bend or extend fully to achieve some of the positions, but that’s improved already after only a few sessions because I’m stretching myself gradually each time.

The problem with using a yoga dvd is that you can’t postition yourself properly if you’re constantly turning your head and twisting your body to see the demo, so I’ll keep doing the first routine until I can anticipate the positions without seeing them. Once I reach that level and have been doing the first series of exercises for a while I’ll feel more ready to move on to the next level. I’ve watched the entire dvd and am looking forward to progressing, but yoga is as much about breathing and relaxing as it is about exercise, so slow and easy works for me. I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to actually bring my head all the way down to my knees, but I’m more supple today than I was a week ago, so I suppose anything is possible. I’ve been using a quilt to pad my tile floor when I work out, but I’ve decided to stick with it, so I’ll be getting a yoga mat next time I go shopping. That’s the only equipment I’ll need, and buying a mat will strengthen my commitment to stick with this. This old body has served me pretty well, so it’s time I started giving it a little TLC in return, don’t you think?

Technorati Tags: exercise, health, relaxation, yoga

March 11, 2008

Naked Naturals for your hair

I love getting free samples. I have several “free sample” websites bookmarked and my mail carrier frequently comments on all the goodies she gets to deliver to me. It’s a great way to try out products before you buy. I’ve recently changed toothpaste and mouthwash and have added some tasty foods to my pantry, too, after trying samples first. I was looking forward to trying out a natural shampoo recently, but when the sample arrived I was a little disappointed. I have a lot of allergies and the shampoo I got contained citrus, which I can’t use. When that happens I try to find someone else who is interested in the product, and I knew my friend would be interested in trying Naked Naturals so I gave it to her. She and I are both big fans of natural cosmetics and toiletries and both try to find products that aren’t tested on animals. Naked Naturals qualified and she really enjoyed using it. She mentioned that it didn’t overlather and leave her hair feeling like it was full of residues. Her hair feels lighter and cleaner and she liked the citrus fragrance. Her endorsement is good enough for me, so I’ll be trying the Naked Naturals Awapuhi & Lavender shampoo and conditioner. Some of y’all already know that I grow lavender and that it’s my favorite scent. I also grow ginger (awapuhi) and have some shampoo ginger seeds I’ll be starting soon, so how perfect is that for me? Naked Natural contains no drying lauryl / laureth sulfates or other harsh chemicals, so that’s good for my hair, which dries out too easily in our tropical climate. The Naked Natural shampoos contain Keravis instead, a natural plant protein that can make your hair up to seven times stronger. If you prefer natural products for your own hair, check out the site and then come tell me which formula you think will be best for you.

Technorati Tags: hair care, Naked Naturals, natural shampoo, review, shampoo